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HM slaves might be helpful for some people, but I like to play differently. No matter what Pokémon I have in my party I always like to have all HM's on me at once so that I'm not restricted in any way during gameplay. With that being said, I also don't like to shove all of them onto 2 Pokémon. I prefer to split them up, so that I can always be prepared, but at the same time have all of my Pokémon be battle ready. I also like to use field moves that apply to different games, such as Dig in every generation and Secret Power in generation 3. I'm aware that I can't make the most powerful team this way and that it is no good competitively, but it's not about that for me. It's about being prepared while still having strong Pokémon, even if it means they can't be the strongest. Anyone else here like to do this? Here's my current Ruby team to show what I mean:

I don't use "uber" Pokémon, I don't calculate stat values, I don't use cheating devices, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones. If you use this philosophy, copy & paste this into your signature.

It's a nice idea to distribute them throughought the team, but having obligatory moves on the team with every playthrough is just boring, honestly. When one plays each new Pokemon game, one is still forced to use the same moves which in battle are all, except Surf and Waterfall (and, at that, one doesn't really want both on the same monster), redundant or plain bad. It can ruin the team's ability to battle effectively; any single Water-type knowing all of Surf/Watterfall/Dive ruins its potential to do anything useful for either the team or itself in battle. I personally keep HM thralls in the PC until the moments I need them. It's quite a bother with Fly, but there's nothing else I can do about that if I don't want to have the move around. I'd only build HMs into the team if playing RBGY.

I always use a HM slave because I'd rather dump all of my necessary HMs on one Pokemon because most are horrible except for Surf and Watefall and I don't want my main Pokemon to have to waste a moveslot.

I usually carry one HM Slave. There's a lot of items that you need rock smash or cut to get to, so I like to have something that can learn those two moves. I usually have a free spot on my team until fairly late in the game so I'm not really hurting my team by using up the party slot either.

However, I do teach moves like Strength, Surf, Whirlpool, etc. to my main team members because they're fairly strong.

I have the same opinion as the OP, I just can't have a HM slave! My Pokemon team is actually built around HM moves, it must know at least one. If I like the Pokemon but it doesn't know the necessary HM, then I'm not using it...

I'm not going to always switch out someone in the box just because I didn't want a 'wasted' move slot...

I build the HMs into my team. HM slaves are just annoying. I hate thinking "Oh, I've to go back to my computer now to get Xmon cause he has Cut". And now Flash isn't even a HM so it isn't a waste of space anymore! But when I need flash I give it to my team's psychic type. Being honest, I think Fly, Surf and Strength are fairly decent attacks so I've no qualms about having them on the team.

As for the other HM slots, if I really feel the slot could be used for something better there's move deleters that I can visit so it's not too bad

That's the beauty of video games, you can play them however you please. For me personally, I'd rather have 6 Pokémon that are great for battling with HM's split up than have 4 Pokémon that are perfect for battling and 2 Pokémon that have 4 HM's. I'd rather waste a move slot than waste an entire Pokémon.

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I don't use "uber" Pokémon, I don't calculate stat values, I don't use cheating devices, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones. If you use this philosophy, copy & paste this into your signature.

I'm usually split in what I decide to do. Sometimes, I'll have a dedicated HM slave in my party with a few of my other Pokemon having an HM, or I'll try to do an even split between by team, especially when there are fewer essential HMs. If I have the later, though, I try and give the HMs to Pokemon that you might not expect to have them (such as giving Druddigon Surf in White 2, when I already had a Samurott on my team).

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"Just when they think they've got the answers, I change the questions."

I usually only carry Fly and Surf with me, the rest I use an HM slave. Reason that, for example, in my current playthrough of Black 2, my prime candidates for learning Strength and Waterfall already have other moves with them, which would break their coverage. My Heracross, for example, has Megahorn, Close Combat, Night Slash and Rock Slide. I'm not getting rid of any of those for Strength.

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Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the day Pokémon pulled a Dallas and jumped the shark.

When I was younger, I didn't even think to use them. I just made sure the HMs that were necessary were distributed accordingly amongst my team, which made moveset limits, and sometimes even team limits, like not being able to use a Pokemon I wanted.

If you wanna feel better about using HM slaves (I personally don't have time or space for crap moves like Cut and Flash) call it HM buddy. Sounds better, right?

I tend to spread them around my team. For that reason, I usually have at least one Water and one Flying type in my team. I'm totally fine with that. Most of the time, I'll skip HMs like Cut and Rock Smash unless they're necessary to progress.

I never use HM slaves. I basically do what you mentioned at the beginning, but only with moves that are decent. I always have someone with Strength, Surf, and Fly on my team because they are usable moves (even though I had to make a sacrifice such as putting fly, a physical move, on a Sigilyph, who is Special-based). I get rid of flash, cut, rock smash, etc. Though after the first half or so of the game.

The only time I ever use HM Slaves is in Nuzlocke or a Solo Challenge, all of my other playthroughs have the Hidden Machines spread across the whole of my team, not just one having four different HMs. I just don't think it's the 'trainer' thing to do, you're meant to care for your Pokémon and not make them your slaves.

I always use a HM slave because I don't like the HM moves in battle. I think they are very useless and prefer to use on them on a Pokemon for just HM moves. The only exceptions are Surf and Fly, which are moves I love during battle. So I teach them to my main Pokemon team.

I don't really use HM slaves because I don't like having a Pokemon around that's useless in battle. Gen5 made this even easier since TMs are now reusable, so any Pokemon with a TM move can temporarily be taught an HM until it's no longer needed, and then brought to the Move Deleter without losing the old move forever.

im sorry but i disagree on your opinion. "HM slaves" are pokemons that we must use, because if we give our best pokemon HM's like you do, we will have to make room for less moves of our pokemon. I mean, i have a Fearow and a Pidgeotte. I love fearow more so i will train him harder and give pidgeotte "Fly" you know why? because if i want to train my pokemon far away, i will use him to move there. Because his only purpose in life is to fill my dex. you gave Wailord surf,dive and waterfall.....its a little too much for a pokemon who is already not with a good movepool.
Also off-topic: You gave your starter HM?! Such bad trainers make me sick

I prefer not to use HM buddies. I try to keep the commonly used HMs within my party and just ditch the rest. I'll use a common Pokémon for Cut and Rock Smash, because I don't usually have a full team when those are necessary and really don't want them stuck on my 'mon till I get to the Move Deleter. Besides Whirlpool, the water HMs are decent and get ditributed around my team- I usually have two water types or a few 'mon that can learn the moves, so none of them get stuck with mostly-HM movesets. Fly I will always have, and Strength depends on the game. But usually I'll just ignore HMs that aren't necessary for game progression. I never need Flash; the only place where it's required for progression is Granite Cave and I can do that easily in the dark. Cut and Rock Smash only get you supplemental items and access to shortcuts after the first part of the game. iirc Whirlpool is only necessary in Johto, and if I care to go I'll just catch something while surfing that I can take with for that.

So yeah. I don't like using HM buddies much. It seems almost unfair to a Pokémon to fill its moveset like that and barely train it. I'M SENTIMENTAL OK

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You gave your starter HM?! Such bad trainers make me sick

wow rude. different people have different play styles. you may not appreciate those styles, but they work for others. to say another person makes you sick because of their chosen moveset- that makes me sick.

I don't use "Slaves" I use HM Companions or HM Friends. I only use 2 HM's in my games - Cut, & Surf, I try and give them to a Pokemon that would benefit from them, so its not wasting a move spot for no reason.

Surf (one of my favorite attacks as well - #2 favorite just behind Aqua Tail) to my water Pokemon. Most of the time this goes to my main starter & water type, Oshawott/Dewott/Samurott.

Cut to a Normal type, since the normal types can learn TM's from other types. [most of the time to my Watchog]

No I set my slaves free. Pokemon like Bibarel have such wasted potential and are only caught just to be forced into slavery. I battle with this guy!

I despise HMs, but some like Surf and Strength aren't actually half bad. I try not to even use Cut and Rock Smash but when I do, I just distribute between the party. I hate wasting a slot, but you know what I hate more? Having to waste an entire Pokemon in my party, and if I deposit it I have to race all the way back to the Pokemon Center to get it. That's a waste of time! D:

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